Drafting of textile fibers



June 9, 1953 e. H. AMBL'ER 2,641,025

DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 1e Sheets-Shet 1 Inventor GEOFFREY Hun. Amen-.52.

Attorneys June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE'FIBIERS Filed March 22, 1950 v 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 w l6 ,2 5 Inventor GzoFFR'EY HILL AM BLEZ.

Attorney:

June9,1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 l9 Sheets-Sheet 5 I percen tags /en th rahges.

cross sectional area.

aisance along ray/fly I nventoi' ,G'EQOFF'REYHILL. A MsLara.

Attorneys June 9, 1953 s. H. AMBLER 2,641,025

- I DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS"- Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 \u W rate of twist. m 4

distance 8/009 roving.

2 draft lab 8 'III/I/l/Q/I/ l/ V distance 6/0/79 roving. Inv'entor GEOFFREY HILLAYMBLER.

By W ttorneys June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 I9 Sheets-Sheet 5 F/G/OA. 2 are/res 5 Q I i.

distance along roving F/G/Oa. 2 draft 6-5 8 ar w ll distance a/on'g row/n9 F/G/Oc.

rate of tm'sz" d/lsiance 6/0/19 row/n9 Inventor GEOFFREY H1 LLAM BLER.

y W, W

Attorneys J 953 a. H. AMBLER' ,6

VD-RAFTING 0F TEXTILEIFIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet s F Wm w 8 distance 0/0/29 rev/n rate of tw/s I III/r distance 9/0/7 roving Inventor GEOFFREY H u. AMBLEK.

y i 3 xttorne ys June 9, 1953 e. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS dllstance a/ong roving.

Inventor GEOFFREY HILL AMBLEE.

June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING 0F. TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG 73.

GEOFFREY HI LL. A MBLEJZ.

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ltorneys J1me 9, 1953 e. H. AMBLER 2,641,025

DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet 9 rwrsr bIAQRAM ROY/N6 36-6 ARA/v75, warn-4o. INITIAL RoV/NG TWIST 06 7.'P/.

Inventor GE F-FEEY H1 LL A M BLEK.

v If Attorneys June 9, 1953 s. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22,- 1950 I9 Sheets-Sheet 10 57966770 AREA EXTRACT/0N AREA I nventor GEOFFREY Hm, AM BLER y M 3 M ttorneys June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet l1 F/G/9- F/G. 2o.

CURVES & 0mm CURVfS WITHOUT- FLUME WITH HUME 0 I0 10 GUI-06360 70 89 Inventor GEOFFREY HILLAM BLEJE.

Attorneys June 9, 1953 s. H. AMBLER DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed March 22, 1950 I nvenlor GEOFFREY HILLAMBLEE.

Attorneys June 9, 1953 cs. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 Sheets-Sheet l5 Inventor GEOFFREY HILL AMBLER.

By 9 M Attameys June 1953 cs. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING 0F TEXTIEE FIBERS Fkled March 22, 1956 19 Sheets-Sheet 14 v nventor .G EIOFF'REZY H IL L AM BLER.

y 5 aw at nae v Attorneys June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,025

DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 19 SheetsSheet 15 Inventor GEOFFREY H 1.1. AMBLEZR.

G. H. AMBLER June 9, 1953 DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed March 22, 1950 hmQ 0 0 Mb W0 NO NO W09 W0 m 11.10 M Adi Qm @I Inventor GEOFFREY HILLAMBLEK.

June 9, 1953 G. H. AMBLER 2,641,026

DRAFTING 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed March 22, 1950 l9 Sheets-Sheet l7 /2 F/GBZ,

mfiFr/NG O 5 .15 .3 a .5 .5 F Inventor ROLIER DlXTfl/YCE N INCHES FROM DRHF INCROLLER NIP,

GEOFFREY HILL AMBLER.

June 9, 1953 Filed March 22. 1950 DEPRESSION //v INCHES 6 '0 G. H. AMBLER DRAFTING OF TEXTILE FIBERS l9 Sheets-Sheet 18 m2 F/G37.

Inventor GEOFFREY HILLAMBLEE.

torneys June 9 e. H. AMBLER DRAFTI NG OF TEXTILE FIBERS l9 Sheets-Sheet 19 [filed March 22, 1950 Inventor GEOFF-252v Hum. A M BLEIE.

y l (a Attorneys Patented June 9, 1 953 'NITE'D STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 22, 1950', Serial No. 151,136 In Great Britain April 11, 1947 38 Claims. I

This invention relates to apparatus andmethods for the drafting of textile fibres in the form of rovings or the like containing a small amount of twist, and more particularly it relates to such apparatus and methods adapted for what is mown as high drafting, i. e., drafting ina single stage to higher than the customary degree. The invention will be described with especial reference to the drafting of worsted fibres, but it may also be appliedto the drafting of other fibres, such for example cottonor staple fibres produced from synthetic filaments. This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 18-,524, filed April 2', 1948, now abandoned.

In the drafting of worsted, the range of draft is usually between 5 and 12, very commonly 6, with the result that after combing or gilling the slivers or slubbings need to be passed through many drafting machines in succession until they (in the form of rovings) reach a sufficient fineness for the final spinning operation. By the practice of the present invention, on the other hand, drafts even exceeding 200 for certain worsted counts may be achieved in a single stage, with the production of yarn of good commercial quality, and similarly very high drafts may be employed in working upon cotton and upon rayon staple fibre, with the reduction in each case of the number of drafting stages requiredand a very considerable reduction in the amount of machines required, with the attendant labour.

The invention will be described herein as ap plied to drafting in the final spinning operation, although it may equally be applied at earlier points in the preparation of fibrous material. For simplicity, the word roving will be used herein to denote whatever assemblage of fibres is described as being drafted, such fibres being parallel, overlapping, and twisted together to form a continuous cylinder, and similarly the drafted product will be referred to as yarn, although these terms are usually applied in the spinning industry only to drafting in the spinning frame and the drafted product thereof.

The object of the invention, generally speaking, comprises the provision of methods and means whereby a regular yarn will be produced at high drafts, with the minimum introduction of irregularities into the same during the drafting process, and whereby the apparatus may easily be set for the production of desired products, such as different counts of wool, at the optimum drafts therefor. The invention, so far as it rehates to apparatus, includes the provisionofmeans whereby existing drafting apparatus may 2 be modified to enable the process to be practised.

The invention is based upon certain discoveries relating to the forces? which act upon and within a twisted. roving during the drafting thereof, and to the conditions which must be" satisfied in order that the fibres of the roving shall be presented smoothly and regularly to the drafting rolls, at various desired drafts.

In accordance with these discoveries, the invention is practiced by careful: control and utilization of twist and tension in the roving, to maintain the fibres thereof in coherent condi tionat all points and. to. ensure regular feed. to the drafting rolls. To this end, means are in tel-posed between feed and drafting rolls, between which a twisted roving is progressing, which may be set at a distance from the. drafting rolls determined: to be' appropriate fer the desired draft and product. (such as a; particular wool count) to be obtained This means, thus adjusted in position and also adjusted as to' the pressure with which it bearsupon the roving; will serve to control the twist distribution and tension in the roving both to the rear and forwardly from the: same, in a: manner which. will produce the conditions which are necessary for smooth continuous drafting.

This means; in its preferredform, comprises forwardly-moving surfaces, preferably small roll ers, adapted to urge:theroving,.passing between them, forwardly at a speed such as to ensure that the length of roving rearwardly therefrom will remain taut, and adapted to press upon the roving with sufficient force to apply required tension thereto. Also preferably these surf-aces are so flanged or shaped as to compress the reving between them into a rectangular or other solid cross sectional form. Also, preferably, the means referred to includes a device in front of the small rollers, through which the roving passes, and which isso shaped as to prevent sensible rotation of a length of roving contained therein. Also, preferably, a similar device; having the same purpose, is provided behind the small rollers. All of these members may be carried by a common support which may be adjusted by suitable means towards or away from the nip of the drafting rolls. The invention, as apparatus, also comprises various combinations of parts and details of construction, and; as a sub-combination, the provision of a detachable unit comprising the common support referred to above with the devices carried thereby, including gearing or other power transmission means adapted to cooperate with a gear or 

